JoJo Siwa claims she was ‘blackballed’ by network for coming out as queer

The former child star has revealed what went on behind the scenes after she came out in 2021, saying powerful people thought she was “going crazy”.

JoJo Siwa was not met with love and support from Nickelodeon after she came out as queer, according to the former child actor.

Quite the opposite, in fact. In an interview with Demi Lovato for Lovato’s new Hulu documentary, Child Star, Siwa — a young dancer, actor, and singer who signed with Nickelodeon in 2017 at the age of 14, for a variety of roles, including her 2021 musical movie The J Team — reveals the network “blackballed” her after she opened up about her sexuality.

Co-directed by Lovato and Nicola Marsh, Child Star — which streams on Hulu — features Lovato sitting down to speak with other former child stars about their unusual upbringing.

JoJo Siwa and Demi Lovato attend the Los Angeles premiere of Hulu's 'Child Star'. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

In Lovato’s conversation with Siwa, the social media star recounts coming out on social media in 2021, by posting a video of herself singing along to Lady Gaga’s LGBTQ anthem, Born this Way. 

Though Siwa, now 21, didn’t think much of the video, the next day she was bombarded by online support for coming out as queer. (At the time, Siwa didn’t put a label on her sexuality, but has since said she is a lesbian.) But she did not receive the same support from Nickelodeon.

“The president of the network called me and was like, ‘What are we going to tell the kids?’ I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘What are we going to tell kids and parents?’” Siwa tells Lovato. “I was like, ‘That I’m happy? What? You want me to tell them I’m making out with a girl? I’m not going to tell them that.’”

Though Siwa doesn’t call him out by name, the current Nickelodeon president since 2018 is Brian Robbins, who is also CEO of Paramount Pictures. Siwa says Robbins told her, “You need to have a call with every retailer and tell them that you’re not going crazy.”

“Going crazy?” Lovato asks, clarifying the language used in response to Siwa’s coming out.

Siwa confirms that’s how she was labelled: “‘Going crazy!’ Came out, ‘going crazy.’”

Siwa came out on social media in 2021.

The performer shared a video with fans at the time singing to Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’.

Siwa tells Lovato that she complied, and did indeed call every Nickelodeon retailer at the time. “Target, Walmart, JC Penny, Toys R Us, Claire’s, Justice … every retailer at the time. Amazon, had a call with them.”

Siwa says was never treated the same by the network, after. “Everything after I came out was changed. The way they communicated with me, the way they worked with me changed, the way they developed my work changed. Everything changed.”

Siwa says she was not invited to the 2022 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, despite her heavy involvement in the previous Kid’s Choice Award shows.

“I basically got blackballed from the company,” Siwa says in Child Star. “They said [not being invited] was an accident. I guess I just didn’t realise, with how young I was, how ‘scary’ it was supposed to be. I think [coming out] was the best thing I’ve ever done. I don’t think coming out should be a scary thing. I wish there wasn’t that stigma around it, but there is.”

Siwa has since shed her colourful image and embraced an edgier style. Picture: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

A Nickelodeon spokesperson denied Siwa’s accusations in a statement toThe Hollywood Reporter, writing, “We are unaware of the incident JoJo is referencing and she was certainly not blackballed by Nickelodeon.

“We have valued and supported JoJo throughout our incredibly successful partnership, which included a JoJo-themed Pride collection at a major national retailer, among our many collaborations together.

“We continue to cheer her on and wish her nothing but the best.”

This story originally appeared on Decider and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as JoJo Siwa claims she was ‘blackballed’ by network for coming out as queer